Monday Minimalism

This past month, as the rush of our family vacation, birthdays, and the start of school all merged at the same time (or so it felt), I fell into the same routine of feeling like I had nothing to wear and subsequently looking at all the possible items of clothing I could buy that would magically transform my wardrobe (AND LIFE!).

A few items were requested as birthday gifts, and I bought myself a shirt and 3 skirts on my actual birthday (2 were thrifted), and guess what?

Neither my wardrobe or my life was magically transformed.

I was overjoyed to update my closet a little bit, but ultimately nothing magical happened. So why did I find myself trapped in the same habit that I have been trying to change?

Perspective.

I was living with short-sighted goals in mind. Creating events and scenarios that fit my desire for certain items seemed to justify my want. However, even though the items are loved and will be used, they don’t fit my long term goals and dreams. They add very little to my family relationships and do absolutely nothing for our goal of paying off student loans.

Minimalism is a delicate balance; one that can sometimes exhaust our progress for growth as we stumble and trip in our learning. We examine ourselves, worn-down and covered with dirt and wonder if we will ever get it “right.”

I have mentally kicked myself back down plenty of times for repeating old habits, theoretically dragging myself back through the mud, as I wonder if the effort really is worth it.

But once you have a taste for the mental freedom that minimalism provides, you start to understand how much weight that mud actually adds. After enough time you grasp your bearings once more and focus your mind where you actually want to be and how you want to live.

Minimalism can be tiresome in a consumer driven society and it is certainly easier to not think about shopping habits, but pushing against those impulsive thoughts and habits, that is one major way in which we can strengthen the focus on what really matters in our lives. Our family, our friendships, our desires to see the world, these can all be experienced and cherished without perfect wardrobes.